Cable company frustration has majority of customers wanting options beyond Comcast, Time Warner

A survey of cable customers found more than half would switch to a different provider if they had a choice.AP File Photo

LANSING -- Wish you had more choices for cable television service? A new survey says you're not alone, as 53 percent of respondents said they would leave their current company if given a choice.

Consulting firm cg42 surveyed more than 3,000 current and former customers of the five largest cable companies in the United States: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter, Cox and Cablevision.

Almost 6 in 10 of those surveyed said they felt they were stuck with their current provider. Most areas have a single cable company because of franchise agreements signed between local governments and cable providers.

Comcast and Time Warner, who are seeking federal approval to merge, were the most vulnerable to losing upset customers, according to the study, followed by Charter.

Comcast has said the Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo market areas would be included in the transfer, which is expected to help win approval from antitrust regulators for the $45 billion merger.

Customers interviewed for the survey are concerned about consolidation in the cable market, with almost 7 in 10 saying they felt there is too little competition between companies, and 72 percent said they worry consumers are hurt as companies grow larger.

Consumers who do leave their cable company have few options. Satellite TV operator DirecTV is negotiating a sale to AT&T, which already offers its U-Verse television service in some Michigan markets. Statistics also show that few customers are "cord-cutting," or turning to online streaming services and leaving cable companies entirely.